1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for safely and efficiently providing for embolic agent delivery.
2. Description of the Related Art
The major impediment to precise delivery and administration of embolic agents is dilution and suspension. As those skilled in the art appreciate, embolic agents are those materials used therapeutically as a treatment for bleeding or some types of cancer by deliberately blocking blood vessels.
Inappropriate solution and dilution can lead to premature aggregation and occlusion of the delivery catheter and/or target vessel. It can also lead to embolization at undesired locations within the vasculature. Current systems for the delivery of embolic agents require multiple pieces of equipment that must be connected/disconnected in a manner making delivery cumbersome and susceptible to spills.
For example, purging the delivery catheter with saline often requires removal of the delivery syringe which is cumbersome and time consuming. With appropriate dilution and solution, plus purging, a more-controlled precision delivery can be obtained, thereby lessening the chance for non-target embolization. Another big challenge in embolic agent delivery is in the use of the standard 3-way stopcock. In order for the physician to properly perform the procedure, it is common for them to disconnect syringes. This is cumbersome, especially when dealing with chemotherapy.
With the application of the Applicant's proprietary technology as previously described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/857,448, which is incorporated herein by reference, it is possible to make the delivery of embolic agents more user-friendly and more precise, with less chance for complications. With the proprietary valve described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/857,448, one is able to keep embolic products in suspension and deliver them more efficiently than ever before.